Pamela Andrews of Performance Merchant Alliance says “Did you know that 1 in 5 people whose data was breached in 2015 from hackers suffered identity theft?”

“And that number is up from 1 in 7 from 2014”. Credit card thieves are stealing sensitive data in the form of names, addresses, and social security numbers in increasingly alarming numbers. These thieves then create false credit card accounts and are taking these cards outside of the United States to create their fraud.

You can protect yourself several ways. Here are 3 different ways to help keep your credit cards and identity safe.

Make sure your Mobile device is secure: Let’s face it, our mobile phone is now our entire life, and most people have all of their financial information stored right there. Make sure that you are using any security features built into your Android and iOS devices, including biometric, fingerprint, or passcodes to stop thieves from accessing your data. Programs that can encrypt data or wipe it clean remotely if your device is stole are also recommended.

Take advantage of Account alerts: Offered by banks, brokerages and credit card issuers, these institutions will notify you via text, email, or sometimes a phone call, of suspected fraudulent activity on your account and can stop it immediately.

Andrews states, “Being proactive in this new financial environment will save you the heartache of identity theft,” something she says “no one should be forced to deal with.”